Raising Max
by Kamije Celeek
Summary: Teenage Dadvid AU: David never expected to become a dad at age fourteen. Then again, he never expected to find the most adorable curly-haired newborn in a box near the old pizza parlor. But he makes the choice that Max will be his son, no matter what. And hey, if the girl in his English class wants to help, let her!
1. The Boy in the Box

**Decided to create my addition to the Teenage Dadvid AU.**

 **David is fourteen and Campbell's adopted son, btw. Title is based off the series "Raising Hope", story is not.**

 **AND IF YOU THINK I'M REFERENCING THE OLD COLD CASE WITH THE CHAPTER TITLE YOU GOT ANOTHER THING COMING!**

* * *

If there was one thing that David knew, it was that the world was simultaneously a beautiful and horrible place. He'd been alive fourteen years, but he knew it already. It was what occupied his thoughts one cold and rainy evening in late November of his freshman year as he walked home from the library. He wished, not for the first time, that he was old enough to get his license and _maybe_ convince Mr. Campbell to buy him a car, but he knew that was impossible. The redhead pulled his jacket tighter around him to block out the rain as he passed the old pizza place—one that had shut down a few weeks earlier.

That's when he heard it.

A faint cry, coming from the alley.

His instincts kicked in and he followed the sound near the wall, where a large cardboard box sat. The sound was coming from there. Carefully, he opened the flaps and gasped in equal parts horror and wonder.

Inside the box was a baby who couldn't have been more than a few days old, still wrapped in its hospital blankets. Its face was screwed up as it cried and David knew he couldn't leave it there.

"Shhhhh…" he soothed, setting his umbrella down and picking up the baby. He remembered from a Family and Consumer Science class he'd taken that a baby's head needed to be supported when they were this young. The baby's cries subsided as he rocked it gently. "It's okay. You're fine."

His first instinct after that was to take the baby to the police station, but his heart was screaming for him to take the kid home. It already had a mop of adorable black curls on top of its head and David could feel his heart melting at the sight as the baby calmed down. Carefully, he picked up the discarded umbrella and continued on his way, sheltering the tiny baby in his jacket. Twice, he had to stop and soothe the baby when the cold rain hit its face, but he made it home.

"All right, little guy," he whispered, closing his umbrella and taking off his backpack. "Let's see now…"

He laid the baby on the coffee table and unwrapped it gently. The only thing the baby wore besides the blanket was a diaper, which was clean. The baby was a boy, he realized.

 _Somebody left their newborn son in an alley to die._

David's stomach churned at the thought.

"Okay. I'm going to… go…pick up some stuff for you." He debated on leaving the baby there, but he knew he couldn't. Instead, he picked up the boy and brought him along to the pharmacy that was a couple blocks away.

Once there, he counted the money in his wallet. He had _just enough_ to buy diapers, formula, and a bottle, but that was it. Babies needed so much…

"Taking care of your brother?" the clerk asked as David checked out.

"Heh, heh… yeah." She rang him up and he thanked her before heading back home.

At the house, he laid the baby on the couch, surrounded by cushions to keep him from falling to the floor. Taking a deep breath, he jogged into the kitchen and started reading the instructions for the formula.

"Measure it out… warm water… not too hot…"

He poured the formula into the bottle and shook it up, gently. When it was at a temperature safe for consumption, he headed back into the living room and set the baby in his arms.

"Time to eat, bud," he offered, holding out the bottle. The baby made a face but still accepted the meal. He only drank half the bottle before he started coughing and hiccupping, which led to crying. "No, no! Please don't cry!"

He gently rocked the baby, but the crying didn't stop. David held the baby as he walked around, hoping to settle him, patting his back. Suddenly, the baby burped, a sound that both surprised and relieved David. He settled down soon after that, sleeping away.

"You need a name," David whispered.

The baby was so tiny. He needed a simple name, something that would be easy to remember.

 _God, why is this so hard…?_

" _Taking care of children requires maximum effort._ "

Elizabeth's statement from a couple months earlier rang in David's head.

 _Maximum effort._

 _Maximum._

 _Max._

"Your name is Max."

Max babbled something in baby-speak that David took as a yes.

* * *

After a solid week of caring for Max, David knew that he wasn't letting the kid go.

In that one week, David had begun to understand what drove good parents—the desire to see their child succeed in life. Max depended on David for everything, which wasn't something that the teenager was used to. The boy's entire life was in his hands, and he didn't want to risk him going to a foster home. He'd been in the system until Mr. Campbell adopted him, and he wouldn't resign Max to the same kind of childhood.

No, his only option was raising Max himself.

Unfortunately, being a teenage boy in high school meant that David didn't have much money. Mr. Campbell sent a couple hundred bucks every month so David could eat, but that was about it. Already, between diapers and formula, the money was running out. David stressed about it as Max napped in the living room, surrounded by cushions.

 _I have to call Mr. Campbell._

Pulling out his phone, he headed into the kitchen for some quiet and hit Mr. Campbell's name on his contact list. It rang once, twice, three times before there was a click.

 _"Hello?"_ Mr. Campbell said on the other line.

"Um, hello, Mr. Campbell. It's David."

 _"Davey! Wonderful to hear from you!"_

"It's great to hear from you, too, sir! Er, I was wondering… do you think you could send a few hundred more dollars a month?"

 _"What for?"_

"Expenses have gone up. Something happened last week and I need more money every month."

 _"We've talked about drugs, Davey."_

"Not drugs, sir, but something _else_."

 _"Hmm… I'll tell you what. I'll come back to the house and decide if your cause is worthy of a few hundred more dollars."_

"Sir—"

 _"No 'buts', Davey. I'm coming home. See you in a couple days."_

And his father figure hung up.

David stared at the phone for a moment and considered canceling. He knew Mr. Campbell was busy wherever he was, and that he didn't need the added stress of Max.

Then, he reconsidered.

If Mr. Campbell knew about Max, he'd most likely send money so the baby could live. David could probably get a part-time job to help pay for expenses when he was old enough, or he could fudge his age on paper.

Max interrupted his thoughts by crying to be changed.

* * *

"So, _this_ is the something that happened?"

David nodded at Mr. Campbell, Max squirming in the teenager's arms.

"Is he yours?"

"Yes and no. I found him, and I want to raise him, so he's mine in that way."

"Let me hold him."

Mr. Campbell held Max's tiny body in his burly arms, the baby too startled by the new person to fight or cry. He just stared with those bright green eyes of his.

"He's a small one."

"He was abandoned," David told Mr. Campbell in a soft voice. "I used up most of this month's money buying him diapers and formula, but he needs a lot more than that. Please, Mr. Campbell."

Cameron looked down at the baby in his arms. He took in the eyes, the black curly hair, the sun-shade skin. This kid would have trouble in the system for sure. He was cute, but he wasn't white like most parents looking to adopt wanted. David wanted the kid. That was what mattered.

"Does he have a name?"

"His name is Max Greene, sir."

"Max. A fine name. You don't hear much about kids named 'Max' nowadays." He put the baby back into David's arms. "All right, Davey. You have your increased allowance. I'll even chip in for a crib and what-have-you."

"Thank you, sir!"

Cameron Campbell rolled his eyes at Davey's obvious joy. The boy was young. He was dumb. But, he might just pull this off, because he was Cameron Campbell's adopted son. He was a Camp Campbell alumni, and those people never gave up! They went on to accomplish whatever they set their mind to.

At least, David did.

"Take care of him, Davey. I don't want any calls from CPS."

"I will!"

True to his word, Mr. Campbell sent money for David to buy Max toys, a crib, a changing table, and even a high-chair. A small dresser was moved from storage into Max's new nursery, which David had painted with scenes of a forest near a lake. It was in this nursery that he rocked Max to sleep each night and sang him a lullaby.

It was perfect for the two of them.

* * *

 **So this is just chapter one.**

 **Chapter two will be during sophomore year, when Gwen joins David's class and meets Max for the first time. Yes, this inspired by a Teenage Dadvid AU that's on Archive of our Own, but I wanted to write my own version of events. Besides, Max was a toddler in that one when he met Gwen. He'll still be an infant in mine (babies are considered infants until they're a year old; I'm going to school to learn how to be a kindergarten teacher so I know some of this stuff).**

 **Besides that, some OCs will feature later. Including a couple that you might recognize from my stories** _ **Horror Camp**_ **,** _ **School of Rock!**_ **, and** _ **Max the Wood Scout**_ **. While not major characters in this story, they'll be here purely to help Max, Neil, and Nikki cause some toddler mayhem for David.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	2. Max, Meet Gwen

**YAAAAAAY GWENMOM TEEN ASDFJKL.**

 **Also, takes place during the May of their freshman year instead.**

* * *

Being the new kid _sucked_.

That was the conclusion Gwen had come to in the past three months since she started school at Sleepy Peak High. She hadn't really made any friends yet, save for one girl named Jen, and even _her_ Gwen didn't really count. Sure, they both loved trash magazines and TV, but there wasn't much else they had in common. Jen was overly religious and attached to her boyfriend, Daniel… who was _also_ overly religious. Gwen tended to duck out whenever the three of them were hanging out after school, which left a bad impression.

"You really _should_ see the glory of Zeemüg," Jen told Gwen with a smile. "All the negativity you have in your life will make it difficult to ascend."

"Uh, thanks, but no thanks. I'm happy being agnostic." They turned the corner into Mr. Buchanan's English class. He was an odd man who _loved_ LARPing and Dungeons and Dragons.

"All right, class," he called. "Settle down now!" The bell had rung and he'd begun taking attendance.

Suddenly, the door flew open and a red-haired guy Gwen had seen but never paid attention to rushed in. He tripped over his own feet and face-planted on the ground, making everyone laugh. Mr. Buchanan sighed.

"Thank you for joining us, Mr. Greene. Please take your seat."

"Sorry I'm late, sir."

"I understand. Please take your seat."

Greene (that _couldn't_ have been his name, right?) took his seat with a red face.

"Now, as you all know, we're wrapping up our Shakespeare unit soon. So, for your final project, I'll be putting you into pairs and assigning you a play to research. Find out about productions, famous actors who have been in those productions, and other interesting facts about each play."

Gwen felt herself losing interest as the teacher called out the pairs.

"…and Mr. Greene, you'll be with Miss Sanchez."

The girl looked over at the redheaded boy, who gave her a smile and a wave.

 _What a weirdo…_

"Tough break," Jen whispered to Gwen.

"Why?"

"He's a freak. Always smiling and happy. And he _never_ hangs out with anybody!"

"Well, _I'm_ going to have to hang out with him if I'm going to get this stupid project done."

"Let me know how it goes. I've got my _own_ project."

Gwen watched Greene ( _seriously_ , what was his first name?!) go up to the desk and grab their rubric. She rolled her eyes before she realized he was coming over to sit with her. Everyone was breaking off into their pairs already, and Jen had moved to sit with _her_ partner.

"Hey," he greeted her, sitting down. "I'm David. And you are?"

 _I fucking_ finally _know your name._

"Gwen. So, what play did we get assigned? Romeo and Juliet?"

" _The Taming of the Shrew_. It's the story of two sisters—one considered lovely and sweet and the other a…"

"Shrew?"

"Yep. The younger sister isn't allowed to get married until the older one does, and the older one is the shrew."

"We're gonna have to work on this outside of school. Meet me at the library?"

"Oh, um, I can't."

"Why not?"

"I… I have to be home after school. It'd be better if we could work at my house."

"Okay, fine." He scribbled his address on a piece of paper and handed it to her.

"Thanks for agreeing to it."

"No problem."

Besides, she was kinda curious about this guy.

* * *

After school, Gwen called her mother to take her to the address David had given her. Both of them were shocked by the mansion that was located at said address.

"Call me when you're ready to come home," Valentina told her daughter.

"Yes, Mom," Gwen sighed. "I'll see you later."

Valentina drove off and Gwen approached the door. She knocked a few times before ringing the bell. Rapid footsteps approached the door and it flew open to reveal an exhausted David.

"Sorry," he panted. "Having a little trouble with something. Come on in!"

He led her to the living room, where she was amazed by all the rich-people décor. However, that wasn't really what caught her attention. What caught her attention was the baby sitting in a playpen, playing with a stuffed bear.

"Oh. You're babysitting?"

"No, he's my son." Gwen looked at the white boy with red hair, green eyes, and freckles, then at the baby of Indian descent with curly black hair and bright blue-green eyes.

"I don't see it."

"Well, he's adopted."

"Some agency let you—a guy who's what, fifteen?—adopt a baby."

"Not exactly." The baby looked at Gwen judgmentally, as if she had no right to be there. "All right, little guy." David scooped the baby up. "Gwen, this is Max. Max, this is Gwen."

"Hey, Max." Max gave Gwen the look again. "And he doesn't like me."

"He's only used to me and Mrs. Delgado, his babysitter. Not a people person, I guess." He frowned. "Oh, darn. I need my laptop. Could you hold Max while I run upstairs and get it?"

"Uh, sure."

"Great!"

David handed the baby to Gwen and ran upstairs. Gwen cradled Max in her arms and he gave her a look of confusion.

"What's up? I know you don't like me." Max tugged at her shirt. "I've got nothing in there for you, so quit it, all right?"

Max let out a stream of noises that Gwen was ninety-nine percent sure was the baby equivalent of cursing. It was kind of cute, actually.

"How old is he?" Gwen asked as David re-entered the room with his laptop and cord.

"About… five months, I think. That's what Mrs. Delgado told me when she started helping out. She lives down the street and her daughter has a set of twins about the same age."

"Oh, wow." Gwen looked down at Max, who was squirming and reaching for David. "I think he wants his dad now."

"And I think you're right." David took Max, who immediately calmed to his touch.

"You're good with him."

"Yeah, well, I know how it feels to be unwanted. I told myself I wouldn't let the same thing happen to him."

That made Gwen's heart crack a bit. Unwanted?

 _"Some agency let you—a guy who's what, fifteen?—adopt a baby."_

 _"Not exactly."_

Max had been abandoned. David had found him and taken him in.

 _He became a parent at fifteen to an abandoned child. Jesus Christ!_

"So, shall we get started?"

* * *

The next couple hours were mostly the two of them researching. Max sat on the couch between them with his teddy bear, trying to follow their movements with his eyes, but eventually, he fell asleep with his head on David. The teen dad excused himself to take his son upstairs to his crib.

"Sorry about that," he whispered when he came back. "I forgot his naptime was half an hour ago."

"No problem. He's still a baby. He needs his sleep." Gwen checked her watch half an hour later. "Shit. I've gotta go. Same time tomorrow?"

"You got it!" Gwen took out her phone and dialed her mother's number.

"Mom? Yeah, I'm ready to be picked up. I'll be coming here tomorrow right after school, so I don't need a ride then. See you soon."

She hung up.

"She'll be here in half an hour. She has to finish up something, but then she'll be here."

"Great!"

By the time Valentina showed up, Max was awake and very energetic. He was clinging to David, but he was also willing to let Gwen hold him. That's where he was when Gwen's mother knocked at the door.

"I'll get it!" David chirped, getting up. Max babbled something that Gwen didn't catch, but she wasn't paying attention. Her mother walked into the living room and caught sight of her daughter cradling the baby.

"Who is this?" she cooed, holding out her hand to Max. He buried his face in Gwen's shirt.

"This is Max," David replied. "My name is David. I'm Gwen's project partner."

"It's nice to meet you, David." Valentina shook David's hand. "So, Max is your brother?"

"My son, actually. Five months old."

"He's adorable. And he seems to _love_ Gwen!"

"He really does."

"Well, we must be getting home. Come on, Gwen."

Gwen handed Max back to David.

"See you tomorrow, okay, David?" she told him.

"See you, Gwen!"

* * *

 **And that wraps that up.**

 **The next chapter will fast-forward about two months to farther along in David and Gwen's friendship.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


End file.
